DataSources are a collection of information you add to your GoFormz account in order to either auto-populate or filter your Form Users’ Form fields. When you update your DataSources using API calls, your users have access to the most up-to-date information.

When using DataSources in your Templates, the following examples illustrate how you could set your API to update your DataSource in real-time, or at scheduled intervals with a Delta refresh.

Update your DataSource in real-time

Ensure that your Form Users always have the most up-to-date information possible when you leverage your API to update your DataSources in real-time.

When setting up a real-time DataSource update, first you’d complete a one-time batch creation of your DataSource rows to define your DataSource within your API.

For each DataSource row within your API you’d save a corresponding Row ID as a custom field to act as an asset record in your System of Record (SoR). Your DataSource would then update whenever a new asset record is created, updated, or deleted.

Upsert changes to your DataSource with a Delta refresh

Use a Delta refresh with your API integration to find any added, updated, or deleted asset record rows in your System of Record since your systems last refresh.

The initial steps to upserting changes to your DataSource row with a Delta refresh are identical to real-time DataSource updates. First, you complete a one-time batch row creation. Next, you create Row ID’s in your SoR to help your API calls appropriately dispatch data.

You’ll then create a query to find all newly created, updated, or deleted Asset rows at scheduled intervals. Moving forward, your changes will be upserted as defined based on your scheduled interval.